Are schools getting more strict and controlling?also are secondary schools to big

[Loveithateit]

At dd school (secondary) there are 2 compulsory homework clubs a week. Plus there's home work for actually at home to . If home work is due in on the Friday If it's not handed in on the Wednesday. They are made to stay after school to get it done.

They have 4 role calls a day. School controls when and when a student can't remove their blazer.

They get into trouble over things out of their control . Example : schools uniform is very expensive. Income low parent manages to sort all the main school uniform but struggles with part of the PE kit.

I think if things were a little less strict students would be happier there for enjoy school and work better. I personally don't think most of this stuff is to ready children for the adult world. You don't get held behinde at work if you forget a pen.

If school uniform was more practical and comfortable I think students would work better.

Also if home work is due Friday then it's due Friday . Not Wednesday. It's just more pressure on the child why do it.

I'm not in the position to home school my child but I totally get why more people are doing it.

I find a lot about secondaries utterly draconian tbh - especially uniform. I don't believe it prevents bullying as bullies will find ANYTHING to bully another child about.

I just don't understand forcing pre teens/teens to dress as identical 1950s bank managers and then punishing them if they dare to express themselves when we know this is a key development stage for that age group. Plus the costs are out of control. In our town the secondary uniforms cost upwards of £250 and that's before even buying a school logo skort and all the other PE kit apparel. That sort of money would go a long way for a few pairs of jeans/joggers and tops.

Agree. I don't see why they can't just all be allowed to wear what they want.

When we have non-uniform days, there are always kids who won't come in.

Or kids who come in in uniform and pretend they forgot.

I'd rather they improved the teaching than ridiculous uniform rules.

If they started at a non uniform school then it wouldn't be a shock would it. If they have to buy a 50 quid blazer and a pair of black leather shoes then better to spend that on a couple of pairs of jeans and a pair of trainers.

If it's a medical issue or similar, the parent could write to the school excusing their child from it and take it further if there was no flexibility. But overall I'd have thought the pro's outweigh the cons. Systems for the many are always going to be a poor fit for a few, but there has to be some consensus for it all to work. Or else you can find a more relaxed school or HE as others on this thread have done. There will be parents who want things more strict and some who want it less so, and some kids who'll have a crap time at school whatever it's like. Some things may change but that's still a constant.

What standards need to improve?

Thank goodness I live in Scotland. My boys go to school in joggers and hoodies and there are no consequences for not doing homework. Mine still do it without the constant “if you don’t do it, you will
be punished”
I don’t parent with threats and control and I don’t expect their school to threaten and control constantly. Incidentally my children are well behaved and my oldest has passed all his exams (similar to GCSEs) with flying colours. None of this controlling and punishment nonsense needed.

I think that's quite naive. The outlay on a uniform may get you a couple of pairs of jeans and some trainers, but kids will notice if you wear the same non-uniform all the time and the disparity between the haves and have nots will be so much starker and more problematic. And even at some 6th forms around here, the schools have to be very prescriptive about what non-uniform kids can wear as different styles so easily slip into divisions and even gang affiliations. Uniform solves a lot of problems even if it creates some.

How do kids at non uniform state schools cope then?

Friends dcs are at state in Bristol with no uniform and it's fine.

I feel quite the opposite.

Very little uniform in the real world!

Obviously there's a whole spectrum of experiences and schools make their decisions on the balance of evidence. Which goes beyond the experience of your friends' DCs in Bristol being fine.

At long last, someone with sense👏

I do think there should be a uniform. But it should be more relaxed. Simlar to primary. Ie polo shirt/ jumper or fleece , trousers/skirt .. no tie no blazer . They look scruffy. They end up stinking kids are not comfortable.

But if everyone is wearing the 50 quid blazer and a pair of black leather shoes then you're not going to feel bad about your cheap jeans and unbranded trainers.

Most schools have some sort of second hand uniform sales, or support with buying uniform.

Schools are a subset of the real world. Adults aren't at school. There are reasons for and against uniform which are pretty obvious and well-rehearsed.

It's relevant though? That some state schools don't have a uniform?

Relevant in that the exception proves the rule:

"Uniforms are a fact of life for British school children. Almost every secondary school (98%) and the majority (79%) of primary schools1 require students to wear some form of uniform, ranging from a formal blazer and tie combination to a more relaxed polo shirt based outfit."

https://www.trutexbtru2u.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Uniform-Research-Report-29_6_17.pdf

I've not read the full report as honestly it's not that fascinating an issue.

I agree OP, many schools nowadays seem to be huge, hostile and un-enriching environments for teens to spend their formative years in. They may work for the teachers (though I doubt it in many cases) and from the perspective of crowd control, but they're pretty crap places for children to spend up to 7 years of their childhood.

It makes me laugh (sadly) to think about the 2020/1 campaign for a 'summer of play' to re-engage children and teens after the Covid pandemic (and the enforced isolation many kids suffered) and then to see what passes for secondary education in many schools. Children are not adults and they are not prisoners.

I think schools have been more doctoral - the large MATs have meant that individuality has been lost. I read an article about a levelling or mowing the grass which basically said that some schools were really trying to reduce pupils to wrecks/crying with staff encouraged to shout at children so that they conformed. The idea was that they won't then step out of line. How can this be good education - we want to inspire children, encourage creativity and individual thinking, it seems to me some of schools are just aiming for exam factories with children treated like a number.

What you describe is standard for academy trusts around here & has been for the last 6 years at least.
OTT in my view and needs serious pastoral care to mitigate the anxiety caused.

If I could home school my child I would! My daughter was told to close her eyes last week so they could check that she didn't have false lashes on! She didn't, she told them she didn't, she pulled her eyelashes to prove it and they still stood up close to her face and made her close her eyes!

I'm sick of the pathetic rules! My daughter has dyslexia yet her homework booklets use the tiniest writing I can barely read it so she's not doing homework until it's changed! The school is a shit hole and I'm embarrassed I sent her there!

Who cares if she has false lashes on anyway. I mean, they look daft but so what?

That sounds absolutely awful. Wtf are they doing pulling at her eye lashes. Is there not anything put in place for yoir dd dyslexia?